The 35-year-old man accused of tried homicide in a June taking pictures spree in Aurora allegedly apologized to his first sufferer earlier than driving off and taking pictures two extra folks, in response to an arrest affidavit.
After taking pictures a 49-year-old lady in her automotive exterior her home, Austin Benson allegedly instructed her and different members of the family who had rushed exterior, “I’m sorry. You aren’t the one ones, I shot a number of folks earlier than this,” earlier than driving off, the arrest affidavit said.
Benson was arrested in June and charged with tried homicide, assault, menacing and a number of gun-related crimes, in response to court docket data. In whole, the 35-year-old faces 27 expenses, together with:
- 4 counts of tried first-degree homicide;
- Three counts of first-degree assault inflicting critical bodily damage;
- Three counts of first-degree assault with excessive indifference;
- Two counts of tried first-degree assault;
- 4 counts of felony menacing;
- 4 counts of illegally discharging a firearm;
- One rely of utilizing a large-capacity gun journal whereas committing against the law;
- One rely of utilizing a prohibited weapon whereas drunk;
- One rely of leaving the scene of an accident;
- And 4 violent crime sentence enhancers.
Benson has been arrested 5 occasions earlier than in Colorado, together with a 2018 arrest for 23 counts of tried first-degree homicide in Douglas County, police stated. The costs had been dropped in October 2023.
Round 9:20 p.m. on June 27, police responded to reviews of a crash and pictures fired within the 4400 block of South Eagle Circle in Aurora.
The caller instructed dispatchers they heard about 10 pictures being fired exterior their dwelling and noticed a person hit one other automotive earlier than getting out of his automobile with an AK-47-style rifle, police stated within the arrest affidavit. When officers arrived, they discovered a 49-year-old lady with a number of gunshot wounds, nonetheless sitting inside her automotive.
Within the affidavit, the lady’s 18-year-old daughter — who was additionally within the automotive throughout the taking pictures — instructed police that the pair had been driving dwelling from dinner once they noticed an odd automotive parked of their driveway, blocking their entrance door and storage. The mother, who was driving, was stopped in entrance of the driveway when a bullet shattered her window, spraying glass throughout the automotive.
A number of extra pictures had been fired, however the daughter couldn’t inform the place they had been coming from and couldn’t see the shooter, the affidavit said. When the gunfire stopped, the shooter walked as much as the automotive’s shattered window and stood there, staring blankly contained in the automotive, the daughter instructed police.
As different members of the family rushed out of the home to try to help the mother, the shooter apologized, received again into his automotive and drove off southbound towards Smoky Hill Highway, police stated within the affidavit.
Different witnesses to the primary taking pictures instructed investigators that the person appeared “off” and that he might have been inebriated or medicine, police stated. One man stated he received shut sufficient to Benson after the gunshots stopped to doubtlessly take the rifle away and the person “didn’t appear phased” and didn’t react to the witness approaching.
Round 9:30 p.m., Benson allegedly shot two extra folks — a 35-year-old man and a 64-year-old lady driving collectively within the 4600 block of East Crystal Approach — lower than a half-mile from the primary taking pictures, police stated.
Whereas on their option to the person’s work, the pair observed one other automotive with just one headlight driving towards them of their lane, towards visitors, the affidavit said. The person, who was driving, swerved a couple of occasions to keep away from a collision and the oncoming driver mimicked his actions, police stated.
The person narrowly averted a collision however observed the opposite driver — believed to be Benson — had pushed up onto the curb and went again to verify on him, police stated. As they received shut, Benson allegedly received out of his automotive and began firing.
The person was hit a number of occasions in one among his arms and yelled out, “My arm simply received blown off,” the lady instructed police within the affidavit. The girl was additionally shot a number of occasions and the shooter saved firing at their automotive as the person drove away.
All three taking pictures victims survived.
When officers ran the suspect automobile’s plates, they had been capable of hint the proprietor to an handle lower than 400 toes away from the second taking pictures, the affidavit said. Police searched the 14000 block of East Tufts Place and located a automotive matching the suspect automobile’s description with harm to the entrance bumper and a number of bullet holes exterior an condo, police stated.
Officers ordered everybody out of the condo, however Benson refused to go away, police stated. He matched the outline given to police by the witnesses and officers took him into custody, police stated.
When officers swept the condo to ensure nobody else was inside, they discovered an AK-47-style rifle hidden between the washer and the laundry room wall, police stated.
A handgun was taken from Benson’s waistband and a number of different firearms had been discovered contained in the condo, police stated within the affidavit.
Benson is subsequent scheduled to look in court docket for a standing convention on Oct. 15, in response to court docket data.
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